Cost effective moving granular bed filters for particulates and contaminants removal

A moving granular bed filter for removing contaminants from a gas or vapor stream employs a quantity of granular media that is passed through a vessel while the contaminant-laden gas stream is passed through the granular media to remove at least a portion of the contaminants from the gas stream and into the granular media. The vessel includes a media inlet that extends between a pair of opposite regions of the vessel and delivers the granular media into the interior of the vessel such that the granular media forms a freely-formed filtration pile within the interior of the vessel to define first and second chambers above the upper surface of the pile and on opposite sides of the media inlet. In one embodiment, the media inlet is disposed at the lower end of a media delivery channel that extends downwardly into the interior of the vessel and which supplies the granular media to the media inlet. In the same embodiment, the vessel additionally includes a gas flow direction plate disposed within the media and extending between the pair of opposite regions of the vessel to direct the flow of the gas stream both concurrent and then counter-current with the flow of the granular media through the vessel. In another embodiment, the vessel does not include the gas flow direction plate. In still another embodiment, the media delivery channel may include a flared skirt that forms the media inlet. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims.